St. Landry democrat., 1887-04-23
sACR -R-MAsocH, THE NOVELIST.
An Austrian Authors Story of the Late
Suicide King of Bavaria.


Suicide King of Bavaria.
Whatever may be the nationality of q
writer, if he possesses style, imagination,
originality, the French fete him, decorate
his buttonhole, and indeed make him the
fashion in Paris. English, Americans,
Italians and Russians have been thus re-
eeived by the French nation, and to-day
native novelists are almost forgotten for
Tolstoi and Dostolewski. l am forcibly
impressed by the hospitality of the French
nation toward foreigners because of the
warm reception given SacherMasOch, the
Austrian noyelist-a reception that aston
ishes the author himself perhaps more
than any one else. One day, at Nine.
Adams, he said to me:
alexander Dumas spent two hours at
my house yesterday. Why did he? can
not understand what have ever done to
merit his attention"
Sacher- Masoch gave me the pleasure of
a visit one afternoon, and although he
speaks eight languages, English is not in
the list. Our conversation was therefore
in French.
In speaking of his novels 1 mentioned
one in which Polish count takes great
interest in youth. He consecrates him
self to the education of this boy, and
makes him the confidant of his joys and
sorrows. When the youth is strong
enough to discuss abstruse subjects with
his protector, the count discovers that his
protege Is woman. The idea that ma
terial question may alter the philosophi-
cal nature of their relations causes the
grand seigneur to take refuge in flight,
and here the romance ends.
- rn@-~ 4 -
the novel itself?' said Sacher- Masoch to
me. "Some time after it appeared re-
ceived an anonymous letter, in which the
writer proposed spiritual friendship, like
that of the Polish count, and added that
there would be no danger of q similar
rupture, az he was man. In every line
The final phrase ended in this way: TO
win back to life soul that only meditates
suicide Naturally thought the letter
was written by a woman, and the second
epistle only confirmed my theory, for this
ona appointed a rendezvous in q little vii
lage, with the condition that during the
interview my eyes should be bandaged. I
went; blindfolded myself One moment
after rich, masculine voice said Thank
YOU I was disappointed, I confess, but
made me the most fiattering proposals of
friendship. One year these interviews
took place from time to time, and when
anything prevented me from keeping an
appointment, according to my instruc-
lions, sent letters to London, Vienna,
Paris, etc. My answers were always on
paper stamped with ducal coronet and
aligned Anatole. One day Anatole said tt
me:
st authorize you to regard me-
'Quickly raised my bandage, and saw
the handsomest mani ever beheld. He
held out his hand to me and said:
"'If thou lowest me little, if thou hast
understood that thy destiny is to save me
60 cure me, and thy role to snatch me
from despair, leave thy home. Let mine
be thine, and thou shalt be great, rich
and powerful
81 was stupefed, but, remembering my
wife and child, declined Anatoles offer.
Some days later studied the photographs
in Viennese shop window; among them
saw that Of Anatole, and underneath
was written: s'S. M. Louis III, Roi de
Baviere.' Who knows but the unfortu
nate king might be living to-day had j
responded to his earnest entreaty? Paris
Coz. Chicago Times.